The University of Louisville (UofL) has had excellent success in developing an interactive research program evaluating the etiology and potential therapies for alcoholic liver disease (ALD). This U of L investigative team has chosen to submit an NIAAA P20 planning grant which will expand our research focus and support the creation of the University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center (ULARC) and the development of necessary infrastructure, a critical mass of interactive investigators, and appropriate education/mentoring capabilities necessary to compete for a future P50/P60 Alcohol Center. The research focus of the UofL P20 will be alcohol-nutrition interactions in the development of alcohol-induced organ injury and potential nutrition-based prevention/intervention. No existing alcohol center has a research theme relating to nutrition. Moreover, the alcohol nutrient theme allows for expansion into non-liver targets of alcohol-induced injury such as cardiomyopathy. The P20 mechanism will allow us to bring new investigators into the alcohol field who have complementary research interests with our program. It will facilitate the development of unique "support cores" that will enhance our research mission, and it will provide pilot funding for supporting junior investigators, attracting established investigators to the field of alcohol research, and generating critical new data necessary for a P50 submission. Our proposal has highly innovative pilot projects using new animal models, biomarkers, and clinical interventions. Education and translational research are important components of the ULARC. The aims of the University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center are to: 1. Facilitate interdisciplinary approaches to the investigation of specific alcohol-induced organ injury via the establishment of appropriate administrative, pilot, and core support; 2. Develop new and innovative investigations into the role of nutrition in alcohol-induced organ injury; 3. Develop unique and effective training programs for investigators performing alcohol research, especially those focusing on translational research; 4. Utilize this P20 mechanism to develop the University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center as a defined translational research program that will be competitive for P50/P60 funding and be aligned with the goals of the NIAAA strategic plan and the NIH Road Map. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]